A patient wears metal frames after leg extension surgery

A patient wears metal frames after leg extension surgery

Getty Images

Leg lengthening is becoming a popular procedure in countries such as China, where height issues are controversial and many high-income jobs have height requirements. A very painful and expensive surgery, leg extension involves breaking the leg in several places, then using steel cages and pins to stretch the leg. Photo: Getty Images

Leg lengthening is becoming a popular procedure in countries such as China, where height issues are controversial and many high-income jobs have height requirements. A very painful and expensive surgery, leg extension involves breaking the leg in several places, then using steel cages and pins to stretch the leg. Photo: Getty Images (Getty Images)

Leg lengthening is becoming a popular procedure in countries such as China, where height issues are controversial and many high-income jobs have height requirements. A very painful and expensive surgery, leg extension involves breaking the leg in several places, then using steel cages and pins to stretch the leg. Photo: Getty Images